Hi! My 2011 MacBook Pro i7 finally bit the dust. I need a new replacement that is an upgrade. and I'm completely confused by the models, specs, prices, etc. I'd love to keep it under $2k including everything (memory upgrade, etc.) — $1500 would be nice, but not sure that's possible. I need USB. I don't care about screen size. It doesn't need to be a laptop. A couple years ago I had my eyes on the Mac Mini setup, but they seem to be discontinued. I just want the most audio processing bang for the buck. Please help!! Any suggestions, other than buy a PC, are welcome. Thank you!!

 

buy a pc! :D

anyway, what you could look for, specc wise, is a "old" mac with no retina display. it will save you money. it ill probably have more HD and ram too than one of the newer macs.

im stil ruinning on a old 2012 mac. works flawless in logic/live.
Sure i could "use" a faster cpu, but it aint stopping me from making music.
if i run into cpu issues the good old "bounce to audio" saves the day as always

 

Go PC or build a Hackintosh. There are no arguments to be won by Apple anymore comparing price to performance with PC. Plus, you're components arent soldered to the motherboard allowing you to upgrade!!! I've been an Apple only customer for over 20 years. I've done enough research the past 3 months and there's no question I'm jumping ship as soon as I have funds to build my PC. Everything can be had for fractions of the price building a Hanckintosh/PC. Buying a yuppy inspired, overpriced and easily scratched anodized aluminum computer built by a cell phone company doesn't make sense to me anymore.

 

If you don't want to build a Hackintosh, look for a 2012 Mac Pro.

 

I like the Mac Mini a lot. You can get one starting under 1000,-.
It has very low noise and power consumption, just like the notebook variants.
I recommend not going below 2.6GHz. Multiple cores won't help when you're using CPU-hungry synths or FX.
If you want a lot of plugins simultaneously, you better get a model with a 4-core CPU as well, which means you have to find a (probably second-hand) 2012 Mac Mini i7-quad with 2.3GHz.
When Apple released the new range of Minis, the older 2012 i7 Mini prices have exploded for a reason.

Sometimes you can also find a refurbished 15in Retina MacBook Pro i7-quad with 2.3/2.4GHz and 16GB RAM for around $1000. Believe me, once you've worked with this display you don't want to miss it anymore!

 

Last edited: Jan 26, 2017

there are many high-end laptops with 4K screens, it's not limited to apple crapbooks.

 

Best mac for audio?

Sheepskin.

 

Yes, but tommyzai explicitly asked for a Mac.

 

.
Exactly!!!!

PC guys stay out!!! This is how the Flame wars start.

Have some respect for the Topic.

Really tired of pc guys here hi-jacking everytime they can because they are the majority here.

Enough already.

That being said...You can get a 2013 Macbook and it will do just fine. Im using one in my writing studio right now.
You can find them for around $750 to $1K all day long.


Here's a link.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MacBook-Pro...368251?hash=item489808f17b:g:B2QAAOSwLEtYilne

Here's another: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-MacBo...85535fa&pid=100005&rk=2&rkt=6&sd=262795562374

 

Last edited: Jan 27, 2017

Yeah!
Buy Mac!
Spend much more money!
Wait for when your OS becomes supportless anymore, because you must update to their latest testing and unstable OS, and wait when your software start to support this new OS until it becomes old again!
Don't buy pc, because it is boring to have so much software you want, and to have much less issues!
Buy Mac because it is fashionable because it is Apple!
Don't collect money, spend them!
Don't buy any gear, neither monitoring, nor other stuff! Mac must be first! Mac is a must have in high quality warm analog appley sound!

Don't read this, buy pc. It is much better.

 

Just couldn't help yourself right Russian Drunk. Some people just don't get it!

Where's Ned when you need him..? Let's see how long PC Lovers will hiJack this Mac Thread...?

P.S. I have Plenty of Macs, Monitors, Other stuff and Yes! My Mac s Have a very warm and fuzzy high quality to them all, Haters!!!! Lol.

 

You don't see here ironic...
Okay, say me what's the point of Mac? Any plus on which you spend a lot of money?

 

If you really want a computer with a shiny and trendy [2010? not any more] Apple logo, then the best option is what other people said: a MacBook Pro from around 2012, but speaking of bang for the buck you can't simply ignore the fact that you can assemble a beast of a computer for much less money and simply install OS-X on it. If you can't do it, there are people who can help you with it, I'm sure of it.

Lately I've been into this Hackintosh thingie and I love it. I've always been a Windows hater even though I know it as well as my own pocket and been working with it and supporting it for 20 years. I've had enough of Microsoft's diarrhoea and I'm going to be using XP and W7 for a long time for making music.

Personally I've been using Linux for everything but music for 3 years now, and it's going to stay that way, but for audio I'm still forced to use Windows because of the software I have. Also, I'm one of those who hate saying "Mac please?" and I don't like it when people say that in every thread on AZ, since you don't buy a computer because it has a nice logo, but you buy it because you want to run your software with it, and as much software as you can. You just don't buy a computer and then expect developers to make the software for you, but vice versa. That's why I'm not using OS-X nor Linux for making music. I just won't commit myself to buying an expensive computer only to be unable to run everything I want on it, especially regarding audio.

Anyway, this is not a rant and I wish you best of luck with your purchase!
And happy music making, cos that's what's *the* most important, eh?

Cheers!

 

Last edited: Jan 27, 2017

No I only see someone not bright enough to respect the rules and the Topic and stick to it so that he could help
answer the question the Guy asked in the 1st place. K.I.S.S....Keep It Simple Stupid. Was taught that along time
ago. Try it some time.

If you don't have something constructive to help him out with, just pass on by. Makes all our lives better, Instead of
trying to start a Mac/PC War. Do you get that Point?

 

Yes that was a rant... What is in the water here? The guy just asked a question...Everything goes off topic to justify
not answering the true question he has because you want him to switch formats and he told you specifcally just a MAC!
SMH...

 

Naah, blaqmatic, I'm not a OS-X hater and it was not meant to be a rant, but yeah it does smell like one. I love OS-X, but I hate Apple, I must confess. Same corporate crap as Microsoft.

I just wanted to tell him that there are alternatives without having to spend a lot of money on overpriced hardware, and in my eyes MacBook Pro 2012 is a really excellent laptop! My wife has it and I bought it for her! I might even use it for music some day because it's got Firewire [yes I like FW], but I have to find a good enough alternative for her, most probably a quality Dell laptop with Debian Linux.

I don't think you can make a mistake buying a second hand MacBook 2012, it's built really really well! [2010 MBP is really crap OTOH] However, for a lot less than $2K you can assemble a Hackintosh PC that is more powerful than anything Apple can offer. Simple as that. That is a very viable alternative, nothing to do with any kind of fanboyism. Actually, I must admit I'm a bargain-whore and a fanboy of bang4buck [TM]!

Cheers!

 

Last edited: Jan 27, 2017

Buy vertu, it is expensive, monochromatic, but has diamonds, anaconda leather, gold and platinum, swarowsky stuff. And no more. Don't buy cheap multifunctional androids or expensive iOS with its limited functions. Just buy nothing for huge money.
It sounds to me something about like this.

My bro bought recently pc, zalman z9plus, 16 gb ram ddr3, i7 don't know model but 8core (4+4) about 3.5ghz or so but not 3770k, and 1.5 tb hdd. And monitor. Paid about 12000 roubles or 200 bucks, yes it is used but not so much, great condition.
Now 2000k bucks is a super cool pc, or not so cool mac with cool apple symbol.

 

I have a Hackintosh and a MacMini late 2011 with an SSD and 8 Gigs of RAM and I just finished mixing a Record with 120+ Tracks. It's obvious that you cannot throw dozens of virtual analog plugins at it, but as far as recording is concerned, it should work fine. The earlier MacMinis have better Specs than the latest. Do some research on the topic. And it costs a lot less and is energy efficient.

If you want something with more recent specs I'd suggest building a Hackintosh. Lots of Power, low costs, easily upgradeable hardware, the ability to run both Windows and Mac OS.

Either that, or a iMac maybe. But as far as the direction of their hardware is concerned you either have to pay LOTS of money for Apple hardware which is NOT suited for Audio (USB C Ports on Macbook Pro) or you have to jump ship to a PC build. No way around it!

 

Hijackers...
As you hate pc, its cheapness etc. I don't understand overhypeness of Mac, iPhone, etc. What's so cool in overhyped if Apple? Really, it is like fetishism, ooooh apple, I will spend any money on any apple. What's wrong in Pc? don't know on what to spend a lot of money? Понты?

 

hahaha mac users are still totally in denial and getting scammed since 1984 but dont ever try to make them see the elephant in the room.

steve jobs would sell his own mother and believe his own bullshit and yet they see him as a "genius" ?
wozniak even wrote a couple books about that.